With the growing season in Arkansas finally ramping up towards full speed, the month-old Central Arkansas Farmers Market held its grand opening on Saturday morning with about a dozen vendors, free beefalo burgers and a crowd of early morning shoppers eager for the freshest and most local produce.
By the time Mayor Pat Hays snipped the ceremonial ribbon with the Chamber of Commerce's oversized scissors, some of the booths had been pretty well pillaged. All three farmers who'd brought eggs were sold out before 8:30, and the first blueberries of the year were gone within minutes of Hays mentioning them. Dozens of shoppers, some of them pushing strollers or leading dogs on leashes, took advantage of the cloudy, cool morning to visit as well as shop, and a grill was fired up to cook the free beefalo burgers that market organizers Jody Hardin and Barbara Armstrong had supplied for the event.
Market Organizer Jody Hardin
The Certified Arkansas Farmers Market is open from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Tuesdays on the parking lot next to the Argenta post office at Fifth and Main. All of the produce sold at the market is produced by Arkansas farms that have been certified by Hardin.
Karen Fannin, conductor of the Little Rock Wind
Symphony sent out this invitation:
It’s the 12th annual Flag Day salute to the red, white, and
blue. We’ve got hand-clapping marches, flag- waving patriotic songs, and
toe-tapping Broadway show tunes.
There will be free ice cream courtesy of Blue Bell
Creameries and free flags to wave donated by Woodmen of the World. Bring the
kids and your picnic baskets to the lawn of MacArthur Museum in historic
MacArthur Park in downtown Little Rock.
A Stars and Stripes Celebration
Saturday, June 7, 6:30 p.m.
Rain Date: Sunday, June 8
MacArthur Park, Little Rock
Arkansas League of Artist Annual Member Show at the Terry
House at 7th & Rock, Little Rock. Reception is Friday June 6 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The show runs thru July 27. For information visit www.arkansasleagueofartists.org.
Little Rock 48 Hour Film Project at the Riverdale10 at 2600 Cantrell, LR.
Runs June 6 to June 8. For info visit www.48hourfilmproject.com.
58th Annual Juried Fine Art Competition & Exhibit at
the Fort Smith Art Center. June 5 to June 28. Open Tuesday - Saturday
9:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.
I am heading off early tomorrow morning to North Carolina to join the extended family unit in celebrating a nephew's graduation from high school. There may be a few postings while I am away, and any comments sent will still be posted to the stories.
I will be back Monday night and back online Tuesday morning with the news from the City Council meeting.
Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola returned a call at 5 p.m. about this morning's River City Ministry story. This story can be viewed below with his comments added to the end of the article.
The land for sale is indicated by the yellow border lines east of the Junction Bridge.
Go figure.
The city doesn’t own all the
property along the riverfront park.
“No, no,” is what Planning
Department Director Robert Voyles said Wednesday while looking at the aerial
view shot of property just east of the Junction Bridge.
City Council will vote on resolution R-08-80 next Monday’s
council meeting to purchase about 13,900 square feet of property from the Woodcrest
Co. for $60,000.
Beefalo rancher Barbara Armstron extols the virtues of her products at the
CAFM set up next to the Main Street Post Office Tuesday.
This is Grand Opening Week for the Certified Arkansas
Farmers’ Market is Saturday at the 400 block of Main Street in downtown, just
beside the old U.S. Post Office.
The farmer’s market opens at 7 a.m. with the
ringing of the Fair Trade Bell and the market will close at noon sharp.
Mayor Pat Hays and the NLR Chamber of Commerce Vanguard will be on hand for the
official ribbon cutting ceremony a little before 9 a.m. Hays is expected to
proclaim this Farmer’s Day in Argenta.
Pulaski
Technical College is offering a free Summer Aircraft Manufacturing course to
2008 high school graduates interested in learning basic skills needed for a
career in aircraft completion.
The
nine-week Aircraft Manufacturing course will be offered June 16-August 15 and
will be taught by professionals in the aerospace industries. The course covers
subjects such as reading blueprints for aircraft interior and learning the
components of cabinetry, sheet metal, upholstery and avionics installation.
Students
who complete the course will receive eight hours of college credit, which can
be applied toward an associate degree. The course normally would cost over
$1,000 but is offered free to qualifying students through a grant.
The inter-city competition of who will end up with the most
donated units on June 27 for the Badges and Hoses Blood Drive has been taken to
a new level.
North Little Rock Police Chief Danny Bradley is so confident
the police and fire departments north of the river will be first on the leader board
he’s gotten into the fray.
Bradley challenged Little Rock Police Chief Stuart Thomas to
a side bet for all the golf balls.
“If Little Rock wins, I’ll go over and caddie for the chief,”
Bradley but with all the confidence of a Master’s Tournament winner, added. “If
we win, he comes over here and carries my bag for me.”
The Unified Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (UCNA) is
sponsoring a picnic Saturday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
The party is just off of Riverfront Drive under the Main
Street Bridge at the north shore river walk. Picnic food – hamburgers, hot dogs
and drinks – will be provided at no cost. People are being asked to bring their
own seating to sit back, relax and take some time to visit with old or new
friends.
Could be a good time to meet some of your neighbors who run
your neighborhood associations and organizations and voice your opinion on how
things are going, or need doing.
In case you don’t know what organization or group is in your
area, the city’s Neighborhood Services site has a full list of them and contact
information.
With the growing season in Arkansas finally ramping up towards full speed, the month-old Central Arkansas Farmers Market held its grand opening on Saturday morning with about a dozen vendors, free beefalo burgers and a crowd of early morning shoppers eager for the freshest and most local produce.
Karen Fannin, conductor of the Little Rock Wind
Symphony sent out this invitation:
Friday June 6
The inter-city competition of who will end up with the most
donated units on June 27 for the 
The Unified Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (UCNA) is
sponsoring a picnic Saturday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
